Automatic flushing-tank.



Patented Feb. 26, |90I. l

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Auronmc nusmue TANK.

(Applimiou md Nov. s, 189s.)

(No lodel.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIN WALTER STEVENS, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC FLUSHlNG-TAN K.

SPECIFICATION forming' 0f Itters Patent No. 669,037, dated February 26,1901.

Application led November 3, 1898. Serial No. 695,372. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern;

Beit known that l, JOHN WALTER STEvENs, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have made certain new and useful Improvements inAutomaticFlushing-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is applicable to any of the Various forms offlushing-tanks now in use in connection with Water closets, urinals,slop-basins, cess-pools, and similar apparatus and is adapted to beemployed in almost any locality where a iiushing-tank is required.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangementof parts, as hereinaftershown and described, and specifically pointedout in the claims.

For the purpose of illustration I have shown the invention in thedrawings applied to a urinal and its flushing-tank, to which it isparticularly applicable.

Figure l represents a sectional side elevation of a ushingtank with itssiphonevalve, the automatic siphon-valve-trippin g mechanism connectedthereto, and the urinal-bowl and its trap. Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional side elevation of the trap and its connections detached, andFig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same in section on the line no of Fig.2. Fig. a is a sectional side elevation, on the same scale as Fig. l, ofa portion of the urinal-bowl and the trap, illustrating somemodifications in the construction.

A represents the bowl of a urinal, A2 the 'Hushing-tank, connected tothe bowl by a pipe A2, the upper end of the pipe being connected into aSiphon-valve A4 within the tank, these parts being of the usualconstruction, as shown. The Siphon-Valve A4 isprovided with astarting-valve A5, connected to a lever A, by which the valve A5 isactuated. The upper end of the lever A6 is provided with an armature b',adapted to be attracted by an electromagnet D, and thereby open thevalve A5 when the magnet is energized.

B is the supply-valve to the tank A2 and adapted to be actuated by theioat B2 in the usual manner.

The mechanism whereby the rising Water may be utilized to effect theopening and closing of an electric circuit, and thereby set the iushingapparatus into action, will preferably be by a ioat adapted to make orbreak an electric circuit by rising with the liquid, but may also beaccomplished through the medium of levers or a system of levers orsimilar devices. In Figs. l and 2 afloat mechanism is shown, and in Fig.L a lever device is shown for securing the desired results to illustratethe application ot' the invention. In using both devices a trap E isconnected into the discharge from the bowl A. In the float device achamber E2 is associated with the trap, as shown, so that the liquidwill stand at thesame level in both the trap and the chamber, asindicated by dotted lines in Figs. l, 2, and 4. In Figs. l, 2, and 3 thechamber E2 is in the form of a tube, preferably of glass and supportedat the top in a bracket d by a screw-sleeve d2 and with a non-conductivehollow plug cl3, of hard rubber, vulcanite, or other suitable substance,the plug being adjustable vertically to regulate the distance which theliquid will rise in the t-rap before the electric contact is co1npleted,as hereinafter shown. The plug d2 is provided with two binding-posts (Z4d5, into which the electric conducting-wires will be connected in theusual manner. Each of the binding-posts Z4 Z5 will be provided with acontact-plate d6 C17 in electrical connection with the conductor-wiresleading from the binding-posts. Between the contacts d6 017 is suspendeda rod d8, having a conical contact d2 thereon, which is capable when therod is elevated of engaging both the contacts d6 d7, and thus closing anelectric circuit between the wires held by the posts d4 d5, ashereinafter explained. Within the chamber E2 is a float E3, which isadapted when elevated by the rising liquid to act upon the rod d8 andelevate it, and thus cause the conical contact ci to engagev thecontacts (Z6 CF, and thereby close an electric circuit, as hereinaftershown.

e' e2 are two spring contact-points with which a contact e3 engages, thecontact e3 being connected to the arm B3 of the oat B2 by a rod B4, sothat when the iioat is elevated by the rising water in the tank thecontact e3 will engage both the contacts e' c2 and close an electriccircuit through the conductorwires leading from them. Then when thefloat recedes with the falling level of the liquid IOC the con tact e2is withdrawn from between the points e' e2 and the circuit therebybroken.

F represents an electric battery which furnishes the power by which theapparat-us is operated.

G' G2 represent a push-button mechanism connected into the electriccircuits whereby theliushing apparatus may be set into action, ifrequired, independently of the automatic mechanism, as hereinafterdescribed.

In Fig. e is shown the modification in the construction whereby a leveris utilized to make or break the electric circuit, as before stated. Inthis arrangement H repre sentsa lever poised at H2 in the trap E, with asmall vessel or bowl HS upon the end of the lever directly oeueath thedischarge from the urinal-bowl A', so that any liquid passing from theurinal-bowl will fall into the vessel H3. rlhe trap E/ in thismodification is shown provided with the insulated plug (Z2, the posts did5, contacts d d?, and rod d8, with its conical Contact (Z9, in the samemanner as in Fig. l, the rod ZS being adapted to be elevated by theaction of the lever H' in the same manner the rod is acted on by thefloat in the other modification. The rod (Z2 and that part of the leverH between the fulcrum-poiut H2 and the rod will be heavy enough to keepthe vessel Hs normally in its elevated position. Then when any liquidfalls from the urinal-bowl A into the lever vessel H3 it will move thatend of the lever downward and correspondingly elevate the other end andcause the contact i9 to close the electric circuit through the contactsdsd in the same manner as in the other construction. The vessel H3 willbe provided with a small vent g' in its center to permit the contents ofthe vessel to slowly escape after the vessel has performed its action,but which will be small enough to prevent the escape of the liquid asfast as it tiows in from the urinai-bowl when the latter is first used.By this means no liquid will remain in the lever vessel when the leveris not in use.

In the view shown in Fig. l, g2 is a small dam or crosswall in thedischarge of the trap E,with a small perforation g3, as shown. Thefunction of this dam is to retard the outtlowing liquid somewhat, sothat at the influx of liquid into the bowl the first result will be tomore quickly raise the level of the liquid in the trap and itsassociated chamber E2 than if the dam were not present, and thus morequickly release the liquid in the flushing-tank. The liquid will iiowinto the trap E/ faster than it can How out through the smallperforation g2, while at the same time after the liquid ceases to flowfrom the flush-tank the liquid inthe trap will settle toits normalposition by the outflow through the perforation. The dam therefore is animportant feature of my invention, as itinsures a quicker response byrequiring a iess quantity of liquid to be introduced into the trap toinsure the action of the Iiushing mechanism; but while this is true I donot wish to be limited to the use of the apparatus with the dam, as itwill operate successfully without that feature.

The electric wiring is arranged as shown, leading from one pole of thebattery F by wire t" to the electromagnet D, and thence by wire i2 toone of the contacts e' or e2, and thence by wire to one of thebinding-posts (Z4 or d5 and its contact-plates d6 or (Z7, and thence bywire i4 to the opposite pole of the battery, thus forming a circuit.From the push-button stem G a wire leads to the wire '173, and from thepush-button contact G2 a wire i leads to the wire i, so that an electriccircuit may be closed through the mag-l net D to enable the apparatus tobe operated by hand, if required.

The actuating devices will be very delicately poised, so that theintroduction of a very small quantity of liquid into the bowl A will besufficient to start the iiushing apparatus into action. To insure therequisite delicate action or sensiiiveness of the tioat E3, I surroundthe float with a band 7L to check the tendency of the liquid to rise bycapillary attraction between the float E3 and the walls of the chamberE2, and thereby stand at a higher level in the chamber than in the trap.By the introduction of the band h this tendency is cheeked and the'sensitiveuess of the float greatly increased. Being arranged as shown inthe drawings, the circuit will be held normally open between thecontacts d6 (Z7 and the magnet therefor not energized. When the urinalis used, the first small quantity of liquid will start the flushingmechanism into action. The fallingof the liquid in the tank A2 causesthe float B2 to fall with it, which carries the arm BVl downward anddraws the contact e2 from between the spring-contacts e c2 and breaksthe circuit through the magnet D, and thus releases the valve A5 andallows the inliowing liquid from the valve B' to close the valve Aandrefill the tank. As the liquid rises the float B2 rises with it andforces the contact c2 again between the contacts e e2and again closesthe circuit between the wires 't2 t2,- but in the meantime, the liquidhaving run out of the bowl A/ and fallen again to its normal level inthe trap E', the iloat E2 or lever H likewise resumes its normalposition and causes the contact (Z9 to be' released from the contacts dd? and again breaks the circuit through the wires isti. By this simplemeans the iushing of the bowl A' is automatically accomplished at eachand every iniiux of liquid.

The mechanism whereby the electric curcuitl is broken by the fallingfloat B2 is an important feature of my invention, as the flow of theliquid would be continuous if the circuit through the electromagnet Dand the batteryF were continuous. By means of the mechanism BAl e e2 c3,however, as soon as the siphon starts to operate and the liquid beginsto fall in the tank the float, falling with ICO IIO

it, will break the circuit, as before stated, so that the apparatus isfree to act automatically thereafter in just the same manner as theordinary flushing-tank, the magnet I) therebylosing its power over thelever A.6 and permitting the infiowing liquid to close the valve A5 inthe usual manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination of the vessel to be iiushed, the iiushing-pipe communicatingtherewith,the upper iiushing-tank,the siphonlike duct connecting theiiushing-tank with the said pipe, the electric circuit, the separablecontacts adjacent to said flushing-tank and in the said circuit, thewater-supply valve in the tank, the iioat in the tank adapted to openand close the said valve, the siphonstarting water-passage connectingthe tank and said pipe, the valve controlling said passage, the armatureconnected directly to the Valve, the electromagnet for said armature inthe said circuit, means carried by the float `for opening and closingsaid contact, and means at a distance from the tank for opening andclosing the circuit, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the vessel to be liushed, the ushing-pipe, theupper iiushingtank, the electromagnetically-controlled devices forreleasing the water from the tank,

the electric circuit for the said devices, the escape-duct from thevessel to be flushed, the trap in the escape-duct, the electric contactsin the said circuit and adjacent to the said escape-duct, thecontact-closer in the escapeduct adapted to be moved by the watertherein, and the darn partially obstructing the said duct and having areduced water-passage, whereby the liquid wi-ll be retarded when escaping through said duct, and quickly actuate said contact-closer,substantially as set forth.

3. The com bination of the vessel having two passages for the receptionof liquid, the flushing pipe communicating with yone of said passages,the flushing-tank, the electromagnetically-actuated device for releasingthe water from the tank, the escape-duct from the vessel having akchamber for retaining a body of water, the contact-closer for theelectric circuit raised and lowered by the Water in the escape-duct, thedam obstructing the escape-duct and having a reduced water-passage atthe level of the aforesaid body of water in the escape-duct,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN WALTER STEVENS. In presence of- LEWIS D. MANN, W. P. J EWETT.

